Bryn
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Financial Fool's Day
« Thread started on: Apr 2nd, 2009, 11:30am » |
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Hey people,
My word, it has been almost a year since I commented on/visited this site - how time flies.
I was wondering what people's opinions were on the recent protests on April 1st surrounding the G20 summit in London.
One thing that I remarked upon was the 'carnival-like' vibe (obviously that is before the property damage and rioting during which a man died whilst protesters hurled bottles at paramedics trying to reach him). Rights and wrongs of rioting aside, it does seem that the protest 'recreationale' that dominated the day somewhat defers meaning from any potential real message projected to the broadsheet editorials, rather than directly from the news pictures.
In cold terms, when you group together disparate and independent causes, from climate change to the war in Iraq, and then show your 'anger' by hosting a massive party in central London, it sends the message that these causes are i) monolithic, ii) associated with 'alternative-types' (in the eyes of the people who need pursuading), and iii) dissociated from reality and cast against the backdrop of 'festivale'.
When this is compounded by ridiculous assertions chanted by the crowds, such as that all politicians are corrupt and intrinsically evil, it means that the, quote unquote, 'normal people' feel further removed - either by a directly percieved discomfort or by their own prejudices.
Whilst it may seem uncooth to not wish to challenge these perceptions, I couldn't care less. If it means that the people of this nation are not put off engaging with challenging political dillemas, or that they have one less excuse to write off the political left as 'hippy weirdo students who need to get job', then it is worth leaving the maracas at home.
Viva.
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| « Last Edit: Apr 3rd, 2009, 12:40pm by Bryn » |
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"If someone's after some stargazin', I'm gonna be doin some hellraisin'" From the bizzare lower 6th mind of Ben Coyle, chieftain of the avant garde.
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